Heating unit



Sept 2, 1941 A. BARNsTElNx-:R ErAL 2,254,880

HEATING UNIT Filed March 4, 1959 WITN ESSES:

INVENTORS. whsle/27er and l ack wood.

, Patented Sept. Z 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTVOFFICE Ohio, asignen to Wm, I

seta-ing marasma:

hugh, Pa., a corporation y Application March 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,863

ruptured, due to the intense welding tempera-v tures required. The cost of such units is accordingly, relatively high. If a satisfactory unit of this character could be produced without the need of welding, the cost thereof would be greatly reduced.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a range surface unit constructed from an elongated metallic sheathed heating element which is bound together into a unitary structure without the use of welding, or the like.

A further object of our invention is to provide range surface units from elongated heating elements having interlocking complementary sides.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an eillcient,rinexpensive, range surface unit which will be easy to form and which has additional removable means for retaining the structure in its predetermined configuration.

Other objects of our invention willeither be pointed out specifically in the course of the 2 calm. (el. zin-.w

pmuonedwitmnmembumrnngusoasw insulate the resistor' therefrom. The cross-section of' the casing` -24 is, in. this instance, substantially -in shape. However, vertical sides of the casingv 24V have irregular portions and I2 locatedxtherein. The irregular portions 3l and 22 complementary to each other such asa groove 3l and a head 32, so that the .cooperating'portions of the sheath will be permitted to contiguously engage with each other, substantially as hereinafter described.

The intruding portion or groove 34 extends inwardly into the casting 24and is located along one side thereof, in this instance, substantially semi-cylindrical in shape. In addition, the intruding portion extends along the full length following description. embodying our invention,

or will be apparent from such description.

In the accompanying drawing: v Figure l is a top plan view of a device embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line4 II-lI of Fig.'1;

Fig. 3'is an enlarged fragmentary View siml ilarto Fig. 2; and

.ing an upper heating unit I2, a lower insulating block I4 and a supporting` structureY I6. The heating funit I2 includes an elongated metallic sheathed tubular heating element I8, a central disk 20, preferably of metallic material, and a suitable binding member 22 for retaining the unit I2 in a predetermined consuration.

The heating element I8 comprises an elongated metallic sheath or. casing 24, a helically coiled of the casting 24. However, it is to be understood that such inwardly extending portion 30 may be of any desired cross-section and may be of any suitable length.

The protruding portion or head I2 is located on the diametrically opposite side of the sheath 24. The Aprotruding portion 22 issubstantially the reverse configuration of the inwardly extending portion. In other words, the portion 32 extends outwardly from the side walls of the casing 24, in this instance, in a semi-cylindrical manner, being substantially the same length as the inwardly extending portion 30.

. The metallic sheath 24 may be formed in any desirable shape and in any suitable manner as by drawing through suitable dies or by rolling, swaging, etc. However, it is to be understood that the irregularly shaped portions 30 and 32 must be formed'therein so as to complementar-ily cooperate with each other, substantially as hereinafter described.

The -heating unit I 2 has, in this instance, a

A centrally located irregularly-shaped disc 20. The

'disc 20 has a height substantially equal to the Iheight of the metallic sheath 24. In addition, the disc 20 has a groove 2| cut therein substantially the same shape asI the inwardly protruding portion 30 of the metallic sheath 24. The groove 2I is thus complementary to the protruding portion 32. The inwardly extending groove 2l thus permits the protruding portion 32 of the sheath to cooperate therewith.

The disc 20 inimis instance is illustrated as being a solid 'unitary metallic member. However, it is to be understood that such disc 2l may be formed of a plurality of members, and

heater.

resistor 2 6 and suitable insulating material 2| 55 The binding member or ring 22 is formed from a suitable metallic material which has a crosssection substantially the same as the inwardly extending portion 30 of the metallic sheath 2li.

In other words, the cross-section of the ring 22 will ,be substantially a semi-circle, see Figs. 2 and 3. .It. therefore, follows that the ring 22 may be wound around the outside of the heating unit I2 and positioned within the outside inwardly extending portion 3i) of the case 24, for a purpose and in a manner hereinafter deu scribed.

When constructing the heating unit I2 embodying our invention, one or more of the elongated metallic sheathed tubular heating elements I8 is positioned along side the disc 20 in such -a manner that the protruding portion 32 thereof 'portion 32 of the casing 24 will cooperate with and be complementary` to the intruding portion 30 of the preceding whorl. In other words, there will be an interlocking engagement between each two adjacent turns of the heating element.

After the heating element I8 has been completely wound around the disc 2t, so as to form a circular unitary structure, the ring 22 is tightly wound around the outside or periphery thereof and positioned within the intruding portion 30 of the outer whorl of such heating unit I3. The free ends of the ring 22 are then rigidly attached together such as by riveting or welding (see 23 in Fig. l) whereupon the heating unit i2 will be formed into a rigid solid unit. In addition, the ring 22 will retain the heating element in its predetermined ixed configuration. In this manner, a thermally eflicient and mechanically rigid heating unit, with a iiat top suitable for cooking purposes is provided.

It desired, a suitable bolt 34 may be rigidly attached to the lower portion of disc 20 to at-` tach the heating unit I2 to the supporting pan I8. With such an arrangement being used, the insulating block I4 is positioned within the supporting pan or structure I8 whereupon the heating unit I2 is located thereover with bolt 3B extending through the central portion of insulat' ing block I4 and'through the bottom of the pan I6. A suitable nut may be run ,on the end of the bolt 34 toyrigidly attach the heating unit I2 and insulating block I4 to the supporting pan I6, vso as to form a complete range surface unit Il). However,` it is. to be understood that the heating unit I2 may be attached to the supporting structure in any other desired manner.

If desired, a suitable dummy block orv tube 3l (see Fig. 4) constituting a spacer member and having substantially the same concgurauon as the heating element i8 may be wound parallel with the heating element l@ around the disc 22.

The block or tube 36 may be formed of any suitable heat conducting material and may be either solid or hollow, depending upon the amount of mass desired in the heating unit. It is preferred that the block or tube 3S be as light and ,thin as feasible inasmuch as the unit should have as light a mass as possible. The dummy tube 35 separates the whorl of the heatingl element I8 and limits the length of such heating element utilized for a given sized surface unit. It, therefore, follows that the dummy block or tube 36 may be of any desired width depending upon the amount of separation desired between each succeeding spirals or whorls of the heating element I8.

By having the sidewalls of the'elongated metallic sheathed tubular element complementarily deformed. it is obvious that, when such heating.

elementis tightly Wound around a suitable centrally located disc and retained in such conguration, that the heating unit will be formed into a solid unit or structure.

Various other modifications may be made in 'the device embodying our invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. An electric heating unit including. in com bination, an elongated substantially rectangular sheathed heating element having an elongated bulged portion on one vertical side of the sheath and an elongated grooved portion on the opposite vertical side, said element being wound spirally in a contiguous manner with the two portions complementary on contiguous whorls and the confronting vertical sides in engagement to form a substantially flat surface, and means for retaining said spirally wound element in such predetermined configuration.

2. An electric heating unit including, in combination. an elongated substantially rectangular v sheathed heating element having an elongated bulged portion on one vertical vside and an elongated grooved portion on the opposite vertical side, a disc having a groove in its vertical pe- A.

ripheral surface. said element being woundspirallyin a contiguous manner about such disc with the two portions being complementary on contiguous whorls and .with the bulging portion of the rst whorl cooperating with the groove in the disc, confronting vertical faces in all cases being in contact, and means for retaining said spirally wound element in such predetermined conguration.

. p ALFONS BARNSTEINER. EDWIN H. LOCKWOOD. 

